Following the direction of BC’s Restart Plan, and the order of the Provincial Health Officer , the BC wine industry came together to prepare for the careful reopening of wineries across the province with new health and safety protocols in place to welcome local wine enthusiasts back safely and thoughtfully.
On May 14, the BC Wine Institute engaged industry stakeholders in a constructive dialogue around reopening guidelines, and ultimately best practices, specific to the BC wine industry. Together, this input resulted in the development of a BC wine industry Ready to Reopen Toolkit which includes recommended best practices and key messages for wineries to safely reopen hospitality, tasting room and winery guest experiences while complying with government recommendations and ensuring the safety of employees and customers.
“Engagement from industry stakeholders and consultation with WorkSafeBC was key in establishing reopening best practices and recommendations,” said Miles Prodan, President & CEO, BC Wine Institute. “Our wine industry is diverse and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for all wineries. We believe by engaging industry, together we’ve been able to build upon our industry-leading standards in customer experience and engagement to ensure a careful and safe reopening for BC wineries and the community.”
Some of the Ready to Reopen recommended health and safety guidelines include:
- reduced winery capacity
- employee training
- tasting room reservations
- physical distancing guide markers
- increased sanitization of customer-contact surfaces and objects
- contactless payment options
- limiting group booking size
The BC Wine Institute supports the government’s continued efforts to minimize the risk and spread of COVID-19 and will continue to work with industry to ensure a smooth and safe reopening.
The BC Wine Institute supports the government’s continued efforts to minimize the risk and spread of COVID-19 and will continue to work with industry to ensure a smooth and safe reopening.
In compliance with the BC government’s instruction to avoid non-essential and inter-community travel, this summer the focus for wineries will be on strengthening the connections within their local communities. While online service will continue to serve wine lovers across the country to ensure a safe recovery and a bright, resilient future.
For more information please refer to the Ready to Reopen Winery & Hospitality Best Practices document found in the Ready to Reopen Toolkit, or visit WineBC.com.
About British Columbia Wine Institute (BCWI):
Since 1990, the BCWI has played a pivotal role in taking BC’s wine industry from a vision to an internationally recognized niche region producing premium wines and providing exceptional wine tourism experiences.
The BCWI markets the wine and regions of BC; delivers quality trade, media and consumer tastings; and acts as the voice of BC’s wine industry by advocating to government on behalf of industry that contributes $2.8 billion in provincial economic growth annually.
The BCWI represents all wineries in British Columbia to grow the premium market share for the Wines of British Columbia, while driving awareness of our world-class wines and tourism product – currently drawing 1,000,000 visitors with $600 million in tourism and tourism employment related economic impact every year.
For more information about BC Wine Institute’s programs and services, please visit WineBC.com.
Follow us on social media at the Wines of British Columbia Facebook page and follow @WineBCdotcom on Twitter and Instagram.
Media release provided by Carie Jones, British Columbia Wine Instutute.
